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First ScotRail serves the Scottish rail network with mainline, domestic and rural services. |
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First ScotRail operates almost all services in Scotland, including the Glasgow and Edinburgh commuter services, services to Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness, and all local and rural services. First ScotRail also operates Glasgow - Carlisle local services (via Dumfries) and the Caledonian Sleeper service from London Euston to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William. Express services operate between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen. The Highland Main Line links Inverness to the south. Some stretches of main line, such as the Highland Main Line, are single track, and express services must call at intermediate stations to permit trains coming in the opposite direction to pass. Using the RailEasy™ train ticket price checker and Rail Saver reservation service to complete an online First ScotRail train ticket reservation is quick and easy. Rail Saver will find you the cheapest available First ScotRail train ticket price and book your First ScotRail train tickets in a few quick easy steps using the Rail Easy™ price check and Rail Saver booking engine. |
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More About First Scotrail Trains
First ScotRail is a train operating company that serves the Scottish rail network. They started delivering services under the new Rail Franchise on 17 October 2004.
First ScotRail's Headquarters is situated in Glasgow on Waterloo Street in a refurbished building called Atrium Court, they moved here from Caledonian Chambers again situated in Glasgow. First Group has its headquarters in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The Scottish rail network is geographically small but it's extremely busy for its respective size. In 2004-05 the total number of First ScotRail passenger journeys originating in Scotland was 68.7 million. That's 10% more than the previous year and 40% more than ten years earlier.
First ScotRail are committed to delivering a £40 million programme of improvements for customers across Scotland over the seven year life of the franchise.
Half of the £40 million improvement package will be spent on improvements to stations, in particular enhancing facilities at -
- Stirling
- Aberdeen
- Glasgow Queen Street
- Edinburgh Haymarket
To improve information and promote passenger safety and security, £5.4 million will be spent on the installation of -
- Customer information systems
- CCTV
- Help points
- Public address systems
In addition, there will be significant investment to improve the train fleet, with £7 million to be spent on reliability improvements.
First Scotrail Train Routes
First ScotRail operate all domestic passenger services within Scotland, as well as the cross-border Caledonian Sleeper service to London.
The First ScotRail network is a mixture of long-distance, commuter and rural lines, totalling 2,729 km (1,696 miles), handling 66.1 million passenger journeys in 2003-4.
First Scotrail Main Lines
Express services operate between Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Dundee and Aberdeen. The Highland Main Line links Inverness to the south. Some stretches of main line, such as the Highland Main Line, are single track, and express services must call at intermediate stations to permit trains coming in the opposite direction to pass.
The main lines of Scotland are as follows:
- Ayrshire Coast Line
- Edinburgh to Aberdeen Line
- Fife Circle Line
- Glasgow-Edinburgh via Carstairs Line
- Glasgow-Edinburgh via Falkirk Line
- Glasgow South Western Line
- Highland Main Line
- Tay Coast Line
First Scotrail Glasgow Train Lines
The densest part of the network is the suburban network around Glasgow, consisting of 183 stations — the second largest suburban rail network in the UK after London.
Glasgow’s main terminal stations are Central Station and Queen Street Station. Although First ScotRail operate the trains in this area, they do so under the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) brand. The lines in and around Glasgow are defined as follows:
- Argyle Line
- Ayrshire Coast Line
- Cathcart Circle Lines
- Croy Line
- Cumbernauld Line
- Inverclyde Line
- Maryhill Line
- Motherwell to Cumbernauld Line
- North Clyde Line (to be extended to Edinburgh)
- Paisley Canal Line
- Shotts Line
- Glasgow South Western Line
- Whifflet Line
- Glasgow Airport Rail Link (under construction)
Construction work has already started on the rail link to Glasgow Airport, and it is anticipated that this service will begin operation in 2009. The North Clyde Line will eventually be linked to the Edinburgh-Bathgate Line when the proposed Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link is completed, creating a new direct link between Glasgow and Edinburgh. There is also a proposal to create a new rail link across the city with the Crossrail Glasgow project.
First Scotrail Edinburgh Train Lines
Edinburgh’s suburban network is less dense than Glasgow’s, but is still relatively extensive. Edinburgh’s main station is Waverley Station. The main railway line that passes through the city centre runs in a cutting immediately below Edinburgh Castle.
A secondary station is located at Haymarket in the west of the city. Railway lines running north from Edinburgh to Fife and the Highlands cross the Firth of Forth via the Forth Rail Bridge.
The lines in and around Edinburgh are defined as follows:
- Edinburgh-Bathgate Line (to be extended to Glasgow)
- Edinburgh Cross-City Line
- Edinburgh-Dunblane line
- North Berwick Line
- Shotts Line
- Waverley Line
The Edinburgh rail network is being expanded with the construction of the Waverley Line to the Borders, and the Edinburgh-Bathgate Line will eventually form part of the Airdrie-Bathgate Rail Link.
A project to open a rail link to Edinburgh Airport was cancelled in September 2007 by the Scottish Executive. A proposal to re-open the Edinburgh suburban railway line has been made by campaigning groups.
First Scotrail Rural Train Lines
The West Highland Line at Rannoch stationRural lines include the scenic West Highland Line, Kyle Line and Far North Line. These are not generally well used, but are kept open for a variety of reasons, including social necessity, tourism and political considerations.
Many rural lines are single-track. Services terminating at the coastal towns of Oban, Mallaig and Kyle of Lochalsh connect with the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry services to the islands, such as Isle of Skye, Isle of Mull or Isle of Lewis.
Corrour railway station, an isolated stop on Rannoch Moor on the West Highland Line, featured as a location in the 1996 film Trainspotting.
The rural lines run along the following routes:
- Aberdeen-Inverness Line
- Far North Line
- Kyle of Lochalsh Line
- West Highland Line
First Scotrail InterCity Sleeper Train Services
The Caledonian Sleeper is a sleeper train service operated by First ScotRail and one of only two remaining sleeper services running on the railways of Great Britain.
It connects London Euston station and five Scottish termini – Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fort William, Glasgow and Inverness – six times a week (departures are daily except for Saturday nights) and also serves a number of intermediate stations. The service to Fort William is colloquially known as The Deerstalker.
Two services leave daily (except Saturday nights) from London Euston northbound. The Highland Caledonian Sleeper services leave London as one train in the early evening (between 2000 to 2115) for Inverness, Aberdeen and Fort William. Later on (around 2300 - 0000) the Lowland Caledonian Sleeper services leave for Edinburgh and Glasgow, also as one train.
After leaving London, The Highland Sleeper calls at Crewe and Preston for further boarding. (It is customary for the service to arrive early and wait for its booked departure time.) This train arrives at Edinburgh Waverley (where no alighting is possible) about six and a half hours later, where it splits into three separate trains, bound for Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William. These trains call at intermediate stations en route to their final destinations. Travel to intermediate stations between Edinburgh and the ultimate destinations is possible in seated accommodation subject to availability. It is worth noting that customers for Central Scotland and Fife stations to Perth and Dundee may depart London later and arrive later by travelling on the London Euston – Edinburgh Sleeper, then by local connecting service from Edinburgh. Also, although the Fort William portion of the Highland Sleeper skirts round northern Glasgow, customers may arrive in Glasgow earlier than the Lowland Sleeper by travelling on the Highland Sleeper and changing at Westerton.
The Lowland Sleeper leaves London, and calls at Watford Junction to pick up passengers. The service stops to allow passengers to alight at Carlisle and Carstairs. At Carstairs it separates into two separate services, one bound for Edinburgh and the other for Glasgow Central, also calling at Motherwell.
Heading south, the Highland Sleeper trains depart from Fort William, Inverness and Aberdeen, calling at intermediate stations on the journey southwards. They merge to form one train at Edinburgh Waverley before continuing their journey via Preston and Crewe (both stops permit alighting only) to London Euston. The Lowland Sleeper services depart from Glasgow (calling at Motherwell) and Edinburgh and merge at Carstairs. The merged service makes a further stop at Carlisle to pick up passengers, and arrives at Watford Junction and then London Euston the following morning. All four services stop at Carlisle to pick up breakfast supplies and for a driver change.
From London Euston, the front two carriages of the Highland Sleeper are for Fort William, the middle portion for Aberdeen, and the rear portion for Inverness.
Of the Lowland Sleeper, the front portion is for Motherwell and Glasgow Central, the rear portion for Edinburgh.
First Scotrail Railway Stations
The majority of Scotland’s 340 passenger stations are operated by First ScotRail with Network Rail retaining ownership — the exception being Prestwick International Airport station, which is both owned and operated by the airport. Only three other stations in Scotland are not operated by First ScotRail: Dunbar (GNER), Edinburgh Waverley (Network Rail) and Glasgow Central (Network Rail). Curiously, ScotRail operate Lockerbie railway station but none of their services call there.
Assistance for Disabled Customers
Disabled customers who need assistance with their journey should phone 0800 912 2901 in advance. This number is available throughout Scotland, and calls are charged at local rates. Please call during office hours : 0800 to 2000 (Monday to Saturday) and 0800 to 1500 (Sunday). Outwith these hours an answerphone service is available.
Automatic Ticket Vending Machines
Automatic ticket vending machines are available at the following stations:
Aberdeen, Airdrie, Arbroath, Ayr, Balloch, Bearsden, Bishopbriggs, Bridge of Allan, Brunstane, Camelon, Charing Cross, Clarkston, Corkerhill, Crookston, Dalmeny, Drem, Drumbreck, Dumbarton Central, Dunblane, Dundee, Dunfermline Town, Dyce, Edinburgh Park, Edinburgh Waverley, Falkirk Grahamston, Glasgow Queen Street, Hawkhead, Inverness, Johnstone, Kilwinning, Kirkhill, Langside, Larbert, Larkhall, Leuchars, Linlithgow, Livingston South, Longniddry, Maxwell Park, Milngavie, Montrose, Mosspark, Motherwell, Muirend, Newcraighall, North Berwick, Paisley Canal, Paisley Gilmour Street, Patterton, Perth, Pollokshaws East, Stewarton, Prestonpans, Queens Park, Shawlands, Shettleston, Stepps, Stirling, Stonehaven, South Gyle, Whifflet.
TVM's are also planned for Busby, Carnoustie, Hamilton Central and Pollokshields West.
No Smoking At Stations
In line with legislation, smoking is not permitted in enclosed areas at First ScotRail stations (ie areas with at least three walls and a roof). All First ScotRail trains are also non-smoking.
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